Internal Battle
by XxShatteredAngelxX
Summary: Maybe if her hair was a little bit shinier, she flirted a little bit more, and she was just a little louder, people might take a second look at her before getting entraped in the enigma that is Sakura. A short look at the famous rivalry.


**Author's Note: Hey guys! I know its been awhile and honestly I wasn't planning on publishing this piece, but the last line was in my head for two months and wouldn't leave me alone lol. If you've read my other stories than you know that I usually write romance, but frankly I'm fed up with the way people portray Ino. So I'm going a little bit more in depth about her personality and her rivalry with Sakura. Some people might view this as slight "bashing". But I assure you, it is for explainitive and comparison purposes. And maybe a little bit of my anger about how everyone portray Sakura as perfect. However I didn't mean to offend anyone. Congrats if you read this whole author's note and enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Would I be writing _fanfiction _if I did?**

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Her jutus were always used to warp, control, and sometimes even read minds, but even she never saw this comming. While Ino _was _an outgoing person, her image was much like her jutus. Just an just like an illusion, after you've seen what needs to be seen, you find your way out and forget about it. Ino Yamanaka didn't want to fade away like some kind of mirage.

Sakura, a once shy and insecure little girl, had an aura that drew people into her. No matter how wrong a situation seemed, it always seemed to work out for Sakura, and yet tears still flowed from her eyes. Her bright green eyes and exotic pink hair had become a delicacy among everyone who saw them. They became entranced and always came back for a second look. Between her natural grace, exotic look, and enticing personality, no one even bothered to give Ino a second look. She was never even factored in to the equation.

She found it extremely unfair that even when put side-by-side eyes seemed to be drawn to Sakura like a magnet, yet wasn't it _her_ who gave Sakura that much needed confidence? People never saw beyond their petty competition. Because it wasn't about Sasuke, it never had been. It wasn't about being the best or getting superficial attention. It was about getting _noticed_. Because maybe if one person, _just one_, remembered who Ino Yamanaka was, it would mean something. _She_ would mean something.

She grew up being constantly compared to Sakura, even as a little girl. Whose eyes were brighter? Whose hair was shinier? Who was more tactful and gentle? Who got _noticed_? Certainly not Ino. She didn't have Sakura's charm, she never recieved the sympathy Sakura got, and...people never remembered her. People remember the unusal forest green, not the sky blue they see whenever they look up. People remember the beautiful pink locks, not the dull blonde. People remember the gentle healing hands, certainly not the pricked dangerous ones. So when Sakura tells her who her new crush is, it doesn't bother her(1). Not until she realizes that Sasuke will like Sakura more, everybody else does. Not until she realizes that maybe if Sasuke, by some miracle _didn't _like Sakura more, there would be a chance that other people might not either. Because doesn't everyone do what Sasuke does? So she fights, and she screams, and she yells, and she hides behind a wall of jealousy and an annoying personality. Because annoying is _something_. Right?

(2)And when finally getting a chance to, not be better, but _equal_ to Sakura arrises she clutches it, and holds onto it as a lifeline. Because, in a sense, it is. She can't go on living like this. Because _this_, what she is right now, _isn't_ living. Living is having people who care about you, and notice you, and most of all _remember_ you. That's what she tells herself when fighting, and for awhile it works. Until she slips. Until Sakura starts to mess with _her _mind. And then she becomes desperate. Her lifeline is slipping away. She's thrashing, trying to grab on to something, _anything_ while battling the stinging in the back of her eyes because _this was her chance_. And in the end, it was a hopeless fight to begin with. Because, even if the record says "tie", Sakura always wins.

So maybe if her hair is a little shinier, if she's just a little louder, and if she flirts just a little more, people might take a second look at HER, before becomming entrapped in the enigma that is Sakura.

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**(1) I am referring to the flashback during the Chunnin Exams that explains why their rivalry started.**

**(2) I am referring to Ino and Sakura's fight _during_ the Chunnin Exams.**

**Author's Note: That last line was the one stuck in my head and it only made writing the beginning that much harder, but overall I'm pleased with how this turned out. I know I was repetitive with some of the words, but that was the point I was trying to get across. I think it emphasizes how confused Ino is, and it was intentional lol. Anyway, my favorite part was the last paragraph about the chunnin exams. Review and tell me how I did and what your favorite part was! Remember this is only my fourth story, so I'm still new at this. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! =D**

**Fun Fact: My family doesn't know I write! =O**


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